Feeling the Burn in the North Cascades

In an essay published in the inaugural newsletter of the Cascadia Partner Forum, I reflect on my experience monitoring wolverines and Canada lynx as climate change and wildfires become a growing threat to these and other climate-sensitive carnivores.

As Dr. Robert Long and I hiked toward one of our overwintered camera stations, my heart sank deeper with every dusty step. The station lay within the perimeter of last September’s Labor Mountain Fire, the damage from which had precluded public access until the Forest Service completed its safety cleanup—still underway on this blazing July day. We’d received official clearance to remove our research equipment by walking the closed road to the trailhead, adding only a mile to the trip. Turns out it was a long mile.